Identify
by TabbyShhh
Summary: A face from Gibbs' past turns Tony's world upside down. AU from around the end of season 3 because this story was written before I saw that. Probably the only Het story I'm every likely to write let alone post.


Ziva watched Tony as he tapped his pen on the desk in an irritating rhythm. McGee was no better, sighing with frustration as he typed furiously on whatever he was working on. Even when they were trying to be quiet those two made a lot of noise. The elevator dinged as the doors opened and the mail boy entered the floor, dropping a few envelopes on Gibbs' desk. Neither of her fellow agents flinched, too engrossed in what they were doing. The elevator made that infernal noise again as the mail boy called it back up. Again neither of them flinched. Five minutes later Tony was still tapping his pen, McGee was still sighing and Ziva was planning to take the bell out of the elevator's electronic controls. The doors opened once more and she watched as Tony looked up, interested in the way he hadn't been in the last ten people who had come and gone using the noisy elevator.

"Do you have some kind of radar?" She asked in amazement as a tall, curvy brunette stepped out. Tony just grinned and focused his eyes back on the woman, or girl as Ziva thought peevishly. The girl glanced around the bullpen before her eyes settled on Tony and she made a beeline straight for him. Ziva watched as Tony stood, a little bemused as his hand went to his hip, where his gun was holstered.

"You must be Tony?" The girl said, smiling prettily.

"That's me." Tony held out the hand that wasn't resting near his gun. "Tony DiNozzo. How can I help?" The girl shook his hand.

"I'm here visiting my uncle. He's conducting an autopsy but he said if I waited up here you'd make me…welcome. Samantha Perkins, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Samantha." Tony offered her his chair and she sat down. "Dr. Mallard's your uncle?"

"He was a friend of my parents." She replied, still smiling.

"So, Samantha." Tony smiled charmingly. "You got a license to carry a concealed weapon?" Ziva did a double take and McGee looked suddenly interested.

"Actually I do." Samantha continued to smile.

"Can I see it?" Tony asked.

"Of course." She opened her purse, slipping out her wallet and taking a few cards out of it. She passed them to Tony who passed them to McGee.

"Check those out, Probie." Tony requested. McGee nodded, turning to the safe haven that was his computer. "We've had some problems." Tony gave Samantha a mock apologetic smile.

"I understand. I wouldn't expect anything less from Gibbs' team."

"You know Gibbs?" Ziva asked, deciding to join the conversation.

"Doesn't everyone?" Samantha asked.

"So, Samantha?" Tony gave her a charming smile. "If you're Ducky's niece why haven't we seen you around here more often? I'm sure I would have remembered." Samantha shook her head a little, smile never wavering, as Ziva snorted.

"I've been out of town." She replied non-commitally.

"DiNozzo!" This time Tony had missed the elevator doors opening.

"Boss. This is Samantha Perkins. She's a friend of Ducky's." Tony explained, jumping up from his seat on the desk.

"I know who she is, DiNozzo." Gibbs replied.

"Actually, boss, there's something not right about this identification." McGee offered quietly.

"You've got a good team here, Gibbs." Their visitor's voice interrupted suddenly. It was radically different though, the American accent dropped and replaced by an obvious English one, not unlike Ducky's own refined inflection. "Tony here's had his hand on his gun since he realised I was carrying, which was about two seconds after I stepped out of the elevator. And I got a job in the Pentagon using that identification." She smiled at McGee.

"You're British?" Tony asked.

"Elizabeth," Gibbs clued them into her real name. "Works for SIS."

"SIS?" Tony asked.

"You might know it as MI6." Elizabeth smiled at him. "SIS stands for Secret Intelligence Service. MI6 stands for Military Intelligence Section 6."

"So you're like Jane Bond?" Tony grinned.

"If you want to think of it like that." She smiled a little more.

"We've got a case?" Ziva asked Gibbs who nodded, after taking a drink from his cup.

"British naval officer, found dead on an American Subarmine. No reason for him to be there, he should have been stationed in…" He paused to look at his file.

"The Falklands." Elizabeth replied immediately.

"MI6 are involved in this?" Ziva asked, frowning a little.

"He was the son of someone important." Elizabeth frowned back, the smile gone, for now. "And he wasn't technically a naval officer. Since he was found on an American vessle you have jurisdiction. I'm here in an advisory role."

"You're going to advise us?" Ziva scoffed. "Have you graduated from college yet?"

"Elizabeth is a highly experienced Operational Officer. She outranks you, Ziva, show her some respect." Gibbs ordered.

"Technically, I out rank you too." Elizabeth smiled at Gibbs. He didn't react.

"What were you doing working in the Pentagon?" McGee asked suddenly.

"Your government asked MI6 to help investigate security at the Pentagon in the wake of 9/11. As it took you about thirty seconds to realise, all the documentation is false but I was given full access to your country's highest officials. I had a gun to your secretary of State's head." Elizabeth shrugged.

"A gun?" Ziva scoffed. "How are you still alive?"

"It's a gun in all but appearance." Elizabeth replied patiently. "Smells the same, weighs the same, made out of metal. But it's neon green. Lucky for me the security personnel around the secretary of state aren't all that jumpy or you're right, I probably would be dead." She shrugged. "We exposed the weaknesses and helped plug the gaps. Leaving a few holes for our own use, of course."

"Really?" McGee asked. Tony snorted and Gibbs shook his head with a small smile.

"If we did, do you think I would tell you?" She smiled prettily.

"Double bluff." Tony grinned.

"Perhaps. Now, we need to get going, Gibbs. Ducky wants me home in time for dinner." She grinned as Gibbs rounded up his team and they made for the elevator.

"So, Ducky really is your Uncle?" Tony asked, as the doors closed.

"In all the ways that matter."

* * *

The case was as complicated as it had first appeared. Elizabeth slipped back into the American accent as soon as they got to the naval base, and Gibbs introduced her as Samantha Perkins, a probationary field agent, so the rest of his team followed his lead. They had returned to the lab with a lot of evidence for Abby but nothing much else. The autopsy had shown cause of death to be blunt force trauma but on a sub that could be caused by anything and there was a real possibility they could be looking at accidental death, although it was still a mystery as to what he was doing onboard an American vessle.

"Take these to Abby." Gibbs instructed DiNozzo. "Tell her I want them asap."

"On it, Boss." Tony replied. Elizabeth followed him into the elevator. "How do you know Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"How do you?" Elizabeth returned, her English accent back in place. Her changing identities were beginning to make Tony nervous. He found undercover work refreshing but she seemed to find it second nature.

"I work for him." Tony reminded her.

"So you do." She smiled and stepped into the lab.

"Elizabeth!" Abby shrieked with a huge smile on her face. Elizabeth swung her around, laughing. "Ducky told me you were here. What took you so long to get down here?"

"I'm actually here to work, Abby."

"You two know each other?" Tony asked.

"Of course we do, Elizabeth is…" Abby paused. "You got some evidence for me?"

"Yeah." Tony handed it over. "Elizabeth is what?"

"Ducky's niece. Or something. Whatever, tell me what you've got for me." She instructed.

* * *

"How can she work in those clothes, McGee?" Ziva asked, pacing in front of her desk. "A pencil skirt and four inch stiletto heels?"

"My clothing doesn't affect my hearing, Officer David." Elizabeth said shortly, from behind her. "And how I choose to dress does not affect my competency on the job. I wouldn't wear these heels if I couldn't carry them off." Her smile had completely vanished and she suddenly reminded Tony of Gibbs. Completely unyielding. "I'd be happy to demonstrate in the training room when we have more time."

"Ziva." Gibbs appeared suddenly. "What did I say about respect?" He demanded. Elizabeth moved to Tony's desk pulling him with her so Ziva could be reprimanded in private. "She wasn't joking when she said this guy was the son of someone important and she wasn't joking when she said she outranks me. In this case, she outranks our director. Do not take her on, you won't win."

"Yes, sir." Ziva replied.

"Good. Sit down, Abby got some postive results on the prints already, I need you to contact the officers involved and ask them about their whereabouts. Check their answers against the ship's log, but they were in port so we can't rely on the accuracy of that." Ziva nodded and did as she was told. "DiNozzo, I need you to…" Gibbs paused. "I can see you've been requisitioned." Elizabeth looked up and smiled.

"Tony's just helping me with the details." She replied.

"Fine. McGee, you're with me for now. You're wanted in MTAC in half an hour." He told Elizabeth before heading for the elevator. "And Elizabeth?" He stopped and turned back.

"Yes?" She gave him an innocent smile.

"I want him back in one piece. He's the best agent I have right now." Gibbs stepped into the elvator and pushed the button, trying not to smile at DiNozzo's shocked expression and Ziva's outraged one.

"Did you here that?" Tony grinned at Ziva.

"He said right now." Ziva replied darkly.

"Still means I'm better than you."

"You're his golden boy." Elizabeth grinned at him. "Ducky told me as much. I wouldn't worry about the 'right now' bit either." She paused to glare at Ziva. "Gibbs always was the master of backhanded compliments."

"How long have you known him?" Ziva asked suddenly. "Ma'am." She added, with a fake smile. Tony frowned, unsure why Ziva was acting so badly despite being told to respect Elizabeth twice by Gibbs.

"Longer than you." Elizabeth replied. "Stop asking questions and get on with your work."

"I thought you were here in an adisory capacity."

"I am. And I'm advising you to get those officers checked out. I don't want to waste time getting this case wrapped up. Believe it or not I have more important places to be."

"You were supposed to hold a gun to the head of the President tonight?" Ziva baited.

"Actually, Tony's taking me for dinner." Elizabeth smiled.

"I am?" Tony asked. "I am." He told Ziva, looking pleased but bemused.

"I promise not to break him if that's what you're worried about. He's a big boy, Ziva. Now get on with your work." There was no missing the authoritative tone in Elizabeth's voice this time. Tony looked confused, Ziva could be testy but she wasn't usually so confrontational, and something about Elizabeth was just…off. Still, Abby seemed to like her and Gibbs hadn't once complained about her presence like he usually did with interagency interference. Tony chose to ignore Ziva and go with Gibbs' instincts. Perhaps that was what made him the better agent, he pondered.

* * *

"This thing is driving me crazy." Elizabeth complained as they sat on Tony's sofa eating Thai food straight from the containers. Kate would have had a heart attack, he thought, wincing. It was getting less painful to remember her and easier to forget, which was painful in its own way. He watched in amazement as she plucked a contact lense carefully from her eye, turning to him and smiling. "Much better." She sighed.

"Your eyes are blue?" He asked, looking in amazement at her previously green left eye.

"This one is." She pointed at the blue eye. "My right eye is green. I have to choose one colour or the other. It's too distinctive otherwise." Tony leaned forward to get a better look.

"That's really weird." He was glad she didn't stop smiling, didn't push him away. "And really hot." He added, touching her chin softly so he could tilt her face and check there was no contact lense in her remaining green eye. There wasn't one. She turned her face back and suddenly they were kissing.

"This goes against rule #12." Tony sighed.

"Never date a co-worker?" Elizabeth laughed. "I'm not a co-worker, Tony. As far as most of your federal agencies are concerned I don't even exist, they can't fire you for having an affair with an imaginary person."

"Imaginary?" Tony laughed a little. "Affair?" He asked a little more sincerely.

"I'm not asking for a commitment. I've known you for two days and as soon as this case is cleared up I'm being redeployed for at least six months." She told him. "But there's nothing to stop us having a little…fun." She smiled, pulling him in for another kiss.

"I guess not." He smiled back, when she released him. "Are you staying in a hotel?"

"Not exactly." Her smile wavered a little but she soon had it fixed back into place as she hitched her skirt high enough up to allow her to straddle his thighs.

* * *

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs was standing in front of his desk glaring and Tony had no idea what he'd done wrong.

"Yes, boss?" He looked up.

"Something wrong, Agent Gibbs?" Elizabeth asked coolly from behind him. Gibbs turned to face her.

"You know damn well what's wrong." He informed her shortly.

"Your rules don't apply to me, Jethro." She said his name almost mockingly and Tony watched in fascination as Gibbs' fist clenched, wondering how the cardboard coffee cup in his other hand remained undamaged. "And if they did I wouldn't want to have this conversation here. We have work to do." She reminded him. Gibbs leveled another glare at Tony before barking out orders to the rest of his team. Tony sighed, he wasn't sure why Gibbs cared who Tony slept with as long as it didn't interfere with their work. It's not like she was a red head.

"I think I have something, boss." McGee, piped up, looking almost afraid to be the one to speak amongst the obvious tension. Elizabeth was behind McGee's desk before Gibbs could get there. Gibbs frowned but stood next to her anyway, watching closely as McGee explained his findings in the encrypted emails.

"You went to MIT?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Yeah." McGee replied, looking confused.

"Figures. You people cause us nothing but trouble, cracking every code we set up." She shook her head with a smile. "I suppose it has its uses sometimes."

"You ready to wrap this up?" Gibbs asked.

"I have to be." Elizabeth replied. "My flight leaves tomorrow evening."

"So soon?" It was difficult to tell if Gibbs' question was sarcastic or sincere.

"It wasn't exactly my decision. I go where I'm told to go. You of all people can understand that." Elizabeth replied. Gibbs nodded once and then glanced at Tony who grinned.

"Let's get this case closed!"

* * *

"You really have to go so soon?" Tony asked as he lay sprawled in his bed with Elizabeth.

"Careful, Tony, I might think you're getting attached." She teased. Tony just shook his head with a smile.

"You shake things up a little. Keep Ziva on her toes." He replied. "Even Gibbs acts differently with you around."

"There's a good reason for that but we don't need to go into it now." Elizabeth sighed, sitting up a little, and pulling the sheet around her.

"Do you need me to take you to pick up your stuff?" Tony asked.

"I can call a cab. I'm not good at goodbyes."

"Careful, I'll think you're getting attached." Tony fired back, pleased when she smiled a little brighter. "So, you think you'll be around again anytime soon?"

"Define soon?" She laughed. "I have no idea, and if I did I couldn't tell you. I can promise you one thing though."

"What's that?"

"Next time I'm in Washington as me, I'll look you up."

"I'll hold you to that." Tony grinned, pulling her close. "Exactly how soon do you have to go?"

"Unfortunately, I need to leave now." She sighed. "If things were different…"

"I know." Tony kissed her quickly to stop her from completing the thought.

"I have other people to say goodbye to."

"Ducky?"

"Among others." She admitted. Tony watched as she dressed quickly, throwing her things into her purse. He wrapped himself in his robe to show her to the door.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, Jane Bond." He teased.

"I like that, you know? I might use it one day for an assignment. Or maybe I'll go by DiNozzo." She teased back.

"Hey, don't start with that. What is it with women? You show them a good time and they want to marry you!"

"Not me." She stretched up a little to kiss him. "See you around, DiNozzo."

"Yeah." He watched until the elevator doors closed and she was hidden from view. It figured that the only girl he'd been seriously attracted to in months, who wasn't a murderer or suspect, was an international spy. He sighed, closing his own door and leaning against it. He was getting too old for this shit.

* * *

Seven months passed at NCIS, not unevetfully, of course. Ziva settled in, although she still made occasional slips with her American slang. McGee grew more confident, although DiNozzo still refused to stop calling him Probie. They were having a slow month, something they were all thankful for after the recent events of Tony being framed for murder, Abby being threatened at knife point and McGee shooting an undercover police officer. A slow month, however, meant reviewing old cases, leaving them all tied to their desks and finding themselves actually looking forward to the times when Gibbs would order them down to the training room.

"Delivery for Agent DiNozzo." A guy announced as he stepped out of the elevator. Tony stuck his arm up, declining to stand as he signed off on yet another case review.

"Flowers?" He looked bemused as the guy set the bouquet down on his desk.

"Yup." The guy grinned. "Sign here." Tony did as instructed.

"You know who they're from?" Tony asked him.

"There's a card." The guy shrugged. Tony tipped him and he disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. Ignoring the curious looks from Ziva and McGee, and glad that Gibbs was in a meeting with the director, he snagged the card and pulled it out of it's envelope.

_**Tony, thought it was time I checked in. I'm sure you'll figure out what I mean.**_

_**Jane Antoinette Bond**_

_**('Toni' to my friends. I told you I'd take your name one way or another).**_

DiNozzo couldn't help but laugh but then looked at the flowers in bemusement. There was no doubt they were nice but they were a strange bunch. "What the hell am I supposed to be figuring out?" He frowned at the card.

"You know, most cultures believe that flowers have certain meanings." Ziva took pity on him. "Perhaps your, ahhh, admirer, has sent you a message."

"How am I supposed to know what they mean?" Tony frowned harder. "I don't even know what they are."

"McGee." Ziva sighed.

"On it." McGee, stood, moving to Tony's desk and opening his internet browser. "This is good for things other than porn and sports updates." He told DiNozzo, opening a search engine and typing in a few key words for flowers and their meanings.

"These look like Zinnia." Ziva pointed at the picture on the screen and then at some of the flowers in Tony's bunch. "Thinking of you, I remember you daily." She read. "How sweet." Tony glared at her but then looked at the flowers thoughtfully.

"These small white ones are Queen Anne's lace." McGee realised.

"I fantasize about you." Tony read. "Figures." He grinned at Ziva. "What about these, Probie?" He pointed at the yellow clumps.

"Anticipation." McGee read out. "And those other white ones are lilly of the valley."

"A return to happiness." Ziva read out frowning. "Are you sure these meanings are the same? That doesn't make sense."

"Thinking of you, I fantasize about you." McGee said thoughtfully. "And anticipate a return to happiness?"

"You think she's coming back?" Tony asked, frowning.

"If she's giving you her undercover alias she sure as hell better be." Gibbs said, flicking the card back at DiNozzo. "She wouldn't risk blowing her cover."

"When do you think she'll be back?" Tony asked excitedly.

"I have no idea, but if you three don't get back to work, DiNozzo, she won't be able to find you because you'll no longer be employed here." Gibbs warned.

"Who are we talking about?" Ziva asked, looking confused.

"Elizabeth." McGee took pity and answered while Gibbs and DiNozzo both looked at her as though she were an idiot. "Who else would have Tony so tied up in knots?"

"Watch it, Probie." Tony replied.

"Get back to work." Gibbs ordered again.

"Yes, boss." They all complied immediately this time.

* * *

Ziva frowned as she tried to concentrate on the report she was writing. Three cases in the last two weeks had kept them more than busy. She was seriously beginning to consider buying ear plugs as Tony alternated between tapping his pen and chewing on it while mumbling incoherently. McGee, as usual, was typing and sighing loudly. The elevator dinged as it reached their floor and she watched with interest as Tony looked up slowly at the soft sound of stilettoes. She couldn't hide her amusement when his jaw dropped. That was until she saw the cause of his expression.

"Elizabeth." Tony gasped.

"You look surprised? I'm sure you knew I was coming." She smiled.

"Yeah, I uhhh, I got your flowers." Ziva watched with interest as Tony seemed to blush, if that were even possible.

"I thought you'd appreciate a challenge."

"I did." Tony agreed. McGee snorted and Elizabeth laughed a little when Tony glared at him.

"Elizabeth." Gibbs crept up on them, as always. Ziva had long ago figured out that he occasionally used the stairs so the sound of the elevator arriving couldn't alert them to get back to work.

"Hey." She greeted. He gave her a cursory once over. "I'm fine." She told him shortly. Gibbs' three agents watched the interaction with interest. The dynamic between these two was so confusing.

"How long are you here for?"

"Here?" She asked. "About as long as it takes to persuade Tony to take me out for dinner, which I'm hoping won't be long." She tossed a smile in Tony's direction. "Further than that…it's dependent on a number of factors." She again glanced at Tony but her face was full of insecurity.

"Which means?" Gibbs was like a dog with a bone.

"I have six months leave." She sighed. "Whether I stay around here depends on what there is to keep me here."

"You're not wearing your contact lense." He commented. "So what's with the accent?"

"I can't seem to drop it." She admitted. "Not without thinking about it consciously."

"That's why they gave you six months leave?" He looked worried, Tony noted with surprise. It was so unusual for Gibbs to let his emotions show and the way Elizabeth was behaving was strange too. Surely someone trained in undercover work would be better at hiding their emotions?

"I've been doing this job for 7 years." Elizabeth told him, glaring intently. "I've never had more than two weeks off consecutively, even when I was injured. In that time I've been 18 different people, not including Elizabeth so I guess that makes it 19. So yeah, it's one of the reasons why they gave me six months leave. Happy now?"

"Not really." Gibbs admitted, looking anything but. "DiNozzo?"

"Yes, boss?"

"You done here?"

"Umm, yeah."

"Good. Take Elizabeth for dinner."

"On it, boss." Tony grabbed his jacket and Elizabeth's hand. "Quick, before he changes his mind." He mock whispered to Elizabeth who laughed. Half an hour later they found themselves sitting in Tony's apartment, having picked up take out from his favourite Italian Bistro. Elizabeth had impressed both Tony and the owner, Mr. Fierro, by conversing in fluent Italian.

"I speak 12 languages." She admitted to Tony when they were finally alone. "You didn't think it was just my pretty face that got me my job did you?" She teased.

"No," Tony grinned. "I thought your legs might have something to do with it."

"Hey, I earned my job, thank you very much." She smiled but Tony could tell it was something she'd had to fight to prove.

"God only knows how I ended up in this job." He grinned. "I went from being a cop, to a detective and then after I worked with Gibbs I guess he just decided to keep me."

"Lucky you." She smiled almost sadly.

"It's weird talking to you with your blue eye and an American accent." Tony admitted.

"It's weird not being able to do anything about it." She sighed. "The sad thing is, I don't even know what my real accent sounds like anymore. I know this isn't it but it's not as English as Ducky's. I lived here until I was 11 you know?"

"Really?" Tony frowned. "I didn't know that. Why did you move?"

"My mom and my sister were killed. Shot by a sniper." She shrugged. "My dad was a marine. He didn't know what to do with me so he sent me to live with my mom's family in England. They said I was lucky to be alive."

"Watching your mom and sister being killed and then being abandoned by your dad…bet you didn't feel very lucky." Tony offered.

"Not really. For the longest time I blamed him. For not being there, not being able to save them because he was too busy saving everyone else. I decided that I was going to work hard. To be smarter, tougher, faster… better than him. So that when the time came I wouldn't need him to protect me. I wouldn't need to be afraid. I worked hard at school, took kickboxing classes, martial arts, anything I thought would help. I graduated two years early from college and was actually headhunted by MI5 until they found out I had dual nationality and would be better utilised as an MI6 agent." She paused to breathe. "I tried to never let anyone get near. You can't be disappointed, or let down if you don't invest in people in the first place. I know you know all about that." She smiled softly at him. "Big smile, nice clothes, lots of jokes, a few aimed at yourself. Do it for long enough and people will really begin to believe that you're only this deep." She held her fingers apart a small amount. "They'll stop looking for anything more, right?" Tony just nodded, knowing that he was caught. "I promised myself that I wouldn't ever let anyone get close and that I would never be afraid. You frighten me, Tony."

"Me?" Tony looked surprised. He hadn't seen that coming.

"Yeah." She looked dangerously close to tears. "You've gotten under my skin and I don't know how to get you out. I have no idea what to do about it." She shook her head. "When I was away I thought about you every day. Only when I was off duty, of course." She laughed bitterly. "You want to know why they gave me six months leave?"

"Yeah." Tony nodded honestly.

"They said I'm suffering from post traumatic stress. It wasn't exactly a surprise. I've been suffering from that since I watched my mom's head explode." She wiped at her eyes impatiently. "God, I'm a mess." She laughed again. "I'll get it together soon, I promise."

"Hey." Tony gripped her hand as she tried to wipe away the tears that had finally spilled over onto her face. He wiped them away softly for himself. "Don't apologise. I missed you. You're under my skin too and I have no more idea what to do with it than you. We'll figure it out. Your accent will come back in it's own time, I know it's hard to feel comfortable in your own skin after a long undercover case, it takes time."

"Yeah." She nodded, leaning against him. "I just…want to belong somewhere, Tony."

"We all do." He told her, kissing her head softly.

"I don't know if I can stay here. There's only so much rejection I can take."

"Who's rejecting you?" Tony asked. "Believe me, that's the last thing I'm doing." She pushed back a little and looked him in the eye.

"You honestly haven't figured it out yet, have you?" She smiled a little. "God, your loyalty to him is unwavering." Tony frowned a little. "I don't really know how to tell you this without making you think badly of him." She sighed. "You know, when I was 15 I dyed my hair red?" She said softly, after a moment's pause.

"Red?" Tony asked, as everything suddenly clicked into place.

"Yeah. I thought…I thought maybe if I looked like her, if I reminded him of my mom that he'd actually care about me. I only realised fairly recently that the problem is that I do remind him of her. I wasn't the only one who was angry at him for not being able to save her." She wiped here eyes. "Three marriages…he's never been able to replace her and he never will because he won't stop punishing himself."

"Gibbs is your father." Tony mumbled, almost to himself.

"You honestly didn't know?"

"I think I did." Tony admitted. "The way he was glaring at me after he found out we'd slept together…The fact that your blue eye is exactly the same colour as his eyes. The way you refuse to back down when he confronts you about something. Maybe you're right. Maybe my loyalty to him was stopping me from seeing what was right in front of me. I can't believe he did that to you."

"Do you honestly think I would have been better off with him?" Elizabeth asked. "He did what he thought was best for both of us and he was probably right. I don't…I don't want you to think any less of him. He's a good man, Tony. But that doesn't automatically mean someone's going to be a good father. You know that as well as I do."

"I wouldn't say my father was a good man." Tony replied quietly. It was only fair for him to be honest after everything she'd given him. "So, six months?"

"Maybe longer." She smiled a little. "I can't do this job anymore. I'm losing myself, not that I even really had me in the first place."

"You could get a job at NCIS." Tony suggested.

"I couldn't work for him, Tony. They wouldn't allow it and I wouldn't want it."

"You outrank him anyway." Tony grinned.

"I could head up my own team." She giggled. "Wouldn't Ziva love that?" She sobered, suddenly. "I don't think I want to deal in death anymore. Lying, hiding, I've had enough. Maybe I could train to be a doctor. Make life my business instead."

"You must be more than qualified for any course you wanted to apply for." Tony kissed her head softly. "You don't have to figure it out now. How much notice do you have to give?"

"A month."

"Then you've got 5 months to decide what you want to do." Tony tilted her face and kissed her chastely on the lips. "Five months for us to see if we can make this work That is, if Gibbs doesn't kill me first."

"He won't." She assured Tony. "I worried him today. That's the first time in a long time I've seen any real emotion from him. Other than frustration that I just will not do as I'm told." She smiled a little.

"Sounds like Gibbs." Tony smiled.

* * *

"Jethro?" Elizabeth called out as she entered the house, pulling Tony in behind her. "You here? Jethro!" She called a little louder.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" Gibbs demanded coming up the stairs from the basement and stopping when he saw Tony. It was only a miniscule pause but Tony noticed it and tried not to flinch. "DiNozzo." Gibbs greeted.

"Hey, boss." Tony tried to smile naturally but had a feeling his façade was fading fast after Elizabeth had called him on it earlier.

"I just need to pick up some things." Elizabeth told her father. "I'm spending the weekend at Tony's." Gibbs nodded. "No one really knows I'm in town so there won't be any calls." She added as she started to climb the stairs to go to her room.

"Wait." Gibbs called after her. She turned, looking at him defiantly, daring him to argue with her. "Your accent's back." He commented.

"It is?" She looked confused. Tony and Gibbs both nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked Tony.

"It kind of faded back in." Tony shrugged. "I didn't want to make you self conscious about it." She grinned and then carried on up the stairs.

"How is she?" Gibbs asked.

"She cried." Tony admitted. Gibbs winced and if Tony hadn't already known it was a big deal he knew then. "Apparently she has post traumatic stress disorder." He added. "Hence the six months leave but she doesn't know if she's going to go back."

"Good." Gibbs nodded.

"Good?" Tony asked.

"You think I like not knowing where she is for months at a time?" Gibbs demanded. "Not knowing if she's safe?"

"I guess not." Tony nodded. He knew how Gibbs got when he was worried about his agents, he must be worse when it was his daughter. Maybe that explained some of his moods in the past.

"Be careful with her, DiNozzo." Gibbs warned as he walked back towards the steps that lead to his basement. Tony nodded, he didn't need Gibbs to threaten him to know what would happen if he broke Gibbs' daughter's heart. "Not just for her sake." Gibbs smiled a little. "She might not have her mother's hair but she definitely has her temper. I don't want you missing work because she's handed you your balls on a plate."

"Yes, boss." Tony promised with a smile. Gibbs shook his head and muttered something that sounded disturbingly like 'good luck' before heading back down his stairs.


End file.
